Many children are missing out on preschool. In Madagascar, only 39.5% of children aged 3 to 5 have access to it, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as part of the launch of the National Preschool Education Strategy (SNEP). Constraints related to existing infrastructure are the main factors behind this low enrollment rate. Out of 27,800 public primary schools, only 16,095 classrooms are currently available, with shortages even more pronounced in rural and isolated areas, and overcrowding observed in classrooms, according to SNEP. Yet, the education budget continues to decline. The relative insufficiency of early childhood investments reduces the economic and social effectiveness of long-term interventions.
Génération Mada, an association working in education, is calling for the importance of investing in early childhood. “One ariary invested early equals 7 ariary in savings in terms of better-paid employment, crime reduction, lower healthcare costs, etc., because the early years of childhood are a fundamental stage in a child’s brain development,” says Julian Beck, Director General of Génération Mada, citing the economic gains generated by massive investment in early childhood, based on the work of James Heckman, Nobel Prize winner in Economics in 2000.
The global social-emotional learning program, “Think Equal” by Génération Mada, is based on this analysis. This program, designed and adapted for preschool children aged 3 to 9, aims to develop 25 skills, including empathy, respect for diversity, self-confidence, gender equality, communication skills, and peaceful conflict resolution, and has had positive impacts, according to initial findings from beneficiary schools. The national presentation of the Think Equal 2025-2026 school year, under the patronage of the Ministry of National Education, will be held on July 17, 2026, at Fofikri, in Ankadikely-Ilafy.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-13 21:48:27 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/education-la-classe-prescolaire-reste.html